The Arboretum Near Nitra

Nitra, I was reading the other day in my steadily-accumulating library of Slovak literature, was the original cradle of Slovak learning. The very first Slovak bishop ruled the roost from ecclesiastical buildings here. And the main attractions of the modern city can still be found in its very oldest part on the castle hill. We will write about them, of course, in due course. But if you’re lingering in the area (and you would be wise to, if time permits) then the journey out to Slovakia’s most stunning arboretum, Arboréte Mlyňany, is another must.

To get there, you need to travel to the very edge of Western Slovakia (the Western Slovakia as defined by this blog, at least). By public transport the route is rather complicated (involving a change at Vráble or Nova Ves and Žitavou). But by car it is a short 15km drive from Nitra along the R1 highway to the otherwise lacklustre village of Tesárske Mlýňany – from where, heading south on the road after passing through the village – the arboretum slides into view: a gently rising wooded knoll, with the genteel buildings of a manor house peeping through.

The house and grounds were established by one Dr. Štefan Ambrózy-Migazzi in the 1890s. As a lot of aristocrats of his time did, he had a lot of money, big ideas and the means to execute them – and his plans came into fruition in the shape of Slovakia’s (and one of Central Europe’s) largest and most important collections of exotic plant species.

So many species, in fact, that the Arboretum here has become much like a botanical stroll through continents. There is a Japanese section, an American section, an English section – and many plant representatives from Africa and continental Asia besides. Blossoming with the pinks of rhododendrons, the purples of hydrangeas and hundreds more species of flowers and trees beyond my capability to describe here, the landscaped grounds incorporate woods, ornamental lakes backed by temples and manicured avenue pathways. There’s enough to wander around here for a good couple of hours. Highlights for me were the sequoias and, in the southeast of the arboretum, the Asian walk which ushers you on a path studded with magnolias (so impressive they constitute a main reason to come here during March and April).

It’s the sort of place you come on that first proper spring day when your desire to see some colour in the landscape after the grey of winter overwhelms you. Great for the families and old folks alike. And great for Englishmen in Slovakia, too, except for the fact that, after some considerable time sauntering through the gardens, I was in need of a nice cafe and none was forthcoming. A beautiful old mansion house, lying virtually unused, in the middle of botanical gardens where visitors would be falling over themselves for a tea or coffee – and yet no refreshments available save a vending machine. A market – I feel – has been missed.

I whiled away a few minutes posing by the statue of Michurin at the entranceway instead. Ivan Vladimirovich Michurin was a Soviet scientist who made a name for himself in creating and developing plant hybrids for use in wide scale agriculture. Particularly fruit. Deserts during the Communist era would probably have been very different were it not for Michurin…

Recent Posts

Categories

Categories

Coming Soon…

We're going gourmet this year: expect our output on where to eat/drink out to increase dramatically (quirky places only mind)! And because we like you to sleep well - and wackily: more features on some of Slovakia's more interesting hotels.

PLUS Lots of suggestions for getting out exploring a wilderness of mountains and forests.

AND what happens if you wake up one morning in London and decide, impromptu, to take the train all the way across the EU to Slovakia!